Travel is being disrupted – and VCs are chasing what’s next. From AI trip planning to borderless mobility, the industry is ripe for reinvention. In this session, get a front-row seat to how top investors are sizing up the space: What trends are real? What’s hype? And where’s the smart money going? We’ll dive into the models, signals, and sectors VCs are betting on – from seamless payments to climate-conscious travel tech. Whether you’re building, backing, or scanning the horizon, this is your insider look at the bold ideas and breakout startups shaping the future of travel.
The travel industry is undergoing a profound transformation as technology continues to drive innovation, offering businesses new opportunities to enhance their offerings, streamline operations, and meet the evolving expectations of today’s connected traveller. As consumer demands shift towards personalisation, efficiency, and seamless experiences, travel companies are increasingly leveraging advanced technologies to stay ahead of the curve.
Join us as industry experts gather to explore how travel companies are embracing these technologies to innovate and the impact of these advancements on the future of travel, emerging trends, and the challenges of driving innovation in an industry that is constantly evolving.
Discover how leading hotels are unlocking new revenue streams and elevating guest satisfaction through curated in-destination activities — from exclusive local tours to wellness experiences. In this fireside chat, industry experts Samantha Todd and Fran Kauzlaric will share how hotels can seamlessly connect guests to authentic experiences, enhance engagement, and create memorable stays. Samantha will reveal proven strategies and business benefits, while the session explores how blending the personal touch of hospitality with digital innovation is redefining the guest journey and fostering loyalty.
APAC is on track to become the world’s largest travel market, with flights as the true gateway to unlocking this growth. Explore how rapidly evolving distribution, driven by accelerating NDC adoption and data-driven retailing, is creating both complexity and opportunity, transforming how airlines and third-party retailers connect with travellers. Discover how to navigate complexity, streamline connections, and unlock new opportunities to capture the next wave of APAC growth.
Seamless mobile access, supported by technologies like eSIM, is gradually reshaping the way we travel. By reducing traditional barriers, it makes staying online more effortless and convenient. This trend is beginning to influence areas such as tourism, remote work, and business travel, with major tech players like Apple and Google moving toward eSIM-only devices. As adoption extends into wearables, IoT, and enterprise, travellers are showing increasing interest in simpler, more predictable, and borderless experiences — encouraging the industry to continue adapting.
If you want to be a millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch an airline,” the old joke goes. But is it still true? This session decodes the financial DNA of aviation, tracing two and a half decades of profit swings, growth surges, and market shocks. Through a highly visual, data-rich lens, we’ll revisit the events that have shaped airlines in the 21st century. More importantly, we’ll ask: what will the next decade hold for aviation’s financial sustainability, and who will emerge as winners?
Drawing on SiteMinder’s largest ever hotelier survey, Chief Product Officer Leah Rankin reveals the realities shaping hotels across Asia today, from changing market dynamics and operational pressures to the critical barriers limiting their growth. She explores how the gap between revenue-driving opportunities and hotels’ ability to capture them is creating an invisible drain on profitability and demonstrates how AI-powered intelligence holds real potential to bridge this divide. For Rankin, the direction is clear – success will increasingly come to hotels that anticipate demand, not merely react to it.
Explore how AI-powered chatbots are transforming hotel assistance. Faced with staffing challenges and increasing guest demands for personalisation, hotels can leverage breakthroughs in AI and seamless tech integration. By automating routine tasks, chatbots free up human staff for high-value interactions, improving guest satisfaction and operational efficiency. The APAC region, with its high mobile penetration and tech adoption, is uniquely positioned to lead this innovation. Implementing strategically, avoiding pitfalls, and embracing a Human + AI synergy will define the future of hospitality.
The explosion of multi-sourced travel content is reshaping how hotels reach travellers. A Sabre survey found that most agencies now juggle four or more booking systems — and many handle seven or more. For hotels, that complexity makes it harder to be visible, stand out to the right audience, and turn interest into bookings.
At the same time, travellers in Asia are demanding more choice, personalization, and seamless trip experiences. Disconnected content flows risk missed opportunities, lower conversions, and revenue leakage.
In this session, industry experts and hospitality leaders will explore how hotels can navigate the realities of Asia’s dynamic distribution environment. Discussion topics include:
Join us to hear practical strategies to transform distribution challenges into opportunities for growth in one of the world’s most competitive travel markets.
AI can analyze preferences – but can it feel what you need & predict what you’ll do next?
As the boundaries between human and machine blur, luxury travel enters its most transformative era. In this visionary session, industry expert Mel Suntal explores how we move beyond transactional data like price, location, preference to uncover the “intent behind the intent” of the traveler. Discover how emotional intelligence, psychology, and conscious design are merging to craft journeys that are intuitive, sustainable, and deeply personal, redefining what “luxury” means in the age of intelligent travel.
Remember when cash was king, and then credit cards swept in, transforming global commerce? We are at a similar inflection point in the travel industry. A quiet revolution in payments is set to redefine how we transact globally. This session will cut through the noise, revealing why cryptocurrency payments, particularly stablecoins, are the immediate and undeniable growth engine for travel businesses in a borderless world.
Join us as we unpack the stark realities of traditional payment systems – their high fees, security vulnerabilities, and geographical limitations – and contrast them with the seamless, secure, and cost-effective solutions offered by blockchain and cryptocurrencies and learn how accepting crypto as an alternative payment unlocks access to a rapidly expanding global market of 700M+ crypto owners, a segment that spends 2.5x more on travel than traditional travellers.
